Catching up to cross country’s Lindsey Drake

NY: How have you successfully continued to improve week after week?

LD: Mostly it has to do with great coaches   and great teammates. Having them is key. Our assistant coach, Patty Ley, is awesome, and has really motivated me to keep getting better. Staying healthy has also been a big problem with me in years past. This is my first full year of truly being able to compete, so I'm still continuing to develop. It's a constant learning experience, but it's given me a lot of confidence knowing I have a great group of girls around me, and I can finally do what I love without being held back.

NY: What do you do to prepare the day before a race?

LD: Sleep! Basically, I run and sleep all week, and then try to balance classes somewhere in there, too. Then the day before the race I love having to carbo-load.

NY: What do you do to get amped before a meet?

LD: Well, right before a meet I actually try to calm myself down, and the coaches are really good at helping me relax right before a race. On the way down to the meets though, I normally like to blast music, and we do get pumped as a team. On the way to twilight meets where we get to play under the lights, I love to blast "All of the Lights" by Kanye West. That song really gets me pumped and ready to go.

NY: What is it about running, and cross-country in particular, that you love so much?

LD: It's hard to say. I really don't know why I love it; I just always have enjoyed the thrill of running. That, and I just love being around the team. All the girls are great, and we all get along really well.

NY: What is it that motivates you to work so hard and prepare for each meet?

LD: The team is easily the No. 1 thing. We're so close, and we have such a great group of girls. With a sport like cross-country, there isn't a lot of funding, and we don't have many scholarships. Granted there are some scholarships, and those are great, but it's actually kind of nice this way because we all know that we're all running simply for the love of it. We don't run to get our education paid for, we run because that's what we love to do. We all have that in common. So, I'd say that's the biggest motivation. I know that each of those girls has my back, and after all the work we've put into it as a team, it motivates me to want to do well for them.

NY: Is that what also motivates you to keep pushing through the exhaustion of a race?

LD: Definitely. When I'm exhausted, I know I can't give up because I want to win for my team and for the school. It's exciting being part of a young, up-and-coming group of girls where everyone gets along and loves to be here. As a team, we want to make a name for ourselves in the WCC, and I think we're doing a great job of that this year. We want to bring pride to the school, and that's what motivates all of us to keep working hard. It's a fun group to be a part of, and I think we all have improved and developed a ton this year.